Wavesfactory TrackSpacer - interesting plugin

Hey folks,
 
There's a new plugin available from Wavesfactory (maker of many sample libraries, not to be confused with the big plugin vendor Waves) called TrackSpacer.  It automatically detects frequencies in a track and applies EQ to another track via sidechain to reduce those frequencies most prominent in the first track, thus making room for both tracks in the mix. 
 
For example, you probably know about the "ducking" technique where you apply compression to a track based on the level of another track.  This is usually done with a sidechain input to a compressor on the target track.  TrackSpacer is similar, but applies EQ instead of compression so that the two tracks don't step on each other.  It's a interesting idea, one that I haven't seen implemented in a plugin before.  Of course, you can do this manually by automating EQ levels, but that's a lot of work.  This plugin applies EQ dynamically, in real time, so it goes much further than just notching out a static EQ band in a track.
 
I haven't tried it yet myself, but I thought some of you plugin junkies might want to give this a look.  :-)
 
http://plugins.wavesfactory.com/
 
Note: no affiliation, just a customer.
 
Cheers,
Eddie
 
Edit: added link 

Eddie,

Try to include a link when posting these...it helps!  Thanx!

http://plugins.wavesfactory.com/

Ya must a fixed while I was typing...LOL

Yorolpal
Think I'm with you on this - I listened to the demos and have to say they didn't sound very good to me - that's a shame in a way as I love their libraries and have got many of them - as you say great bang for the buck.
It would have been nice to support them in their first outing with a plug in - but unfortunately not for me I feel
Nigel

It's a kind of spectral ducking, a technique that's been around awhile. Check out Elevayta's Space Boy; I think it's the same type of thing. But last time I looked, it was considerably cheaper than TrackSpacer.

No.

Short hairs, more like it;-)

Wavesfactory has just lowered the price to €39. Still higher than Space Boy, but as bapu pointed out, bits don't grow on trees.

Or you could have just used a garden-variety equalizer and saved even more.

Guess I better go back to tape, console and all outboard hardware too, as everything that is older harder is better for the home musician enthusiast, roight?

Guess I better go back to tape, console and all outboard hardware too, as everything that is older harder is better for the home musician enthusiast, roight?

I don't know that I'd put carving out a hole with an equalizer up there with, say, hand-cranking your car to start it or making your own shoes.

Yes, Eddie, it does do more than an equalizer. Whether it does enough more to warrant purchasing, I'll have to demo it and see. 

Past experience tells me that when it comes to tools such as this, if you don't know how to accomplish the task without it you probably won't have much success with it, either. 


I'm still waiting for the next generation of truly intelligent plugins that analyze a problem and apply a solution more efficiently than a human could. Consider automatic transmissions as an analogy. For decades, automatics were less fuel-efficient than manual transmissions because they weren't smart enough to compensate for the power they took from the engine. Contemporary automatic transmissions, though, make faster and better decisions than a human can, and you can no longer assume that shifting gears yourself will save gas.

I guess I'm saying that current audio plugins are at the level of sophistication of a 1950's era Powerglide.

Hey folks,
 
I wanted to add to this thread by saying that after putting the demo of TrackSpacer through further testing, I decided to buy it.  When using it on vox vs. acoustic gtr, for example, it seemed to blend the two tracks together in a more transparent and natural way than by using traditional sidechain compression.  It works equally well in other scenarios such as piano/gtr and elec gtr/bass.  I also tried sending all instrument tracks to a bus, and hitting that with the vox output -- the vocal was then more intelligible and "sat in the mix" better. 
 
I'm not saying this will save all your mixes.  The effect is subtle and needs to be used with care -- it's certainly possible to crank the knob too much and get weird effects.  But used judiciously, it can certainly help, and it's easy to dial in.  Bottom line: this plugin does what it says it does with a minimum of fuss.  Plus, it's been rock-solid in its operation, and the GUI is cool.  Can't say the same about too many plugins from indie developers.
 
http://plugins.wavesfactory.com/
 
Intro price of 39 euros (about $52) is good till 11/30.  After that it's 59€.
 
Cheers,
Eddie